mindfulness, depression, yoga, mental health, finding a way

Our Superstar this Sunday is one of our very own teachers, Tracey Moore Lukkarila. Tracey has done something amazing this year. She wrote and had her book, 100 Days of Mindfulness, published!!! We could not be more proud or excited to highlight her today. Continue reading to find out what inspired Tracey to write her book and how she chooses to live mindfully each day.

– What inspired you to write 100 Days of Mindfulness?

Two years ago, I had an episode of depression that took 10 months of incredible hard work to get under control. During that time I voraciously read self-help books and attended intensive group therapy and support groups. Needless to say, I tried a lot of different things to get well. Of everything I tried, yoga and mindfulness are the techniques that stuck with me. A perfect complement to yoga, I use the mindfulness techniques in my journal every day, several times of day. They are easy, simplistic, but effective. That was key for me. Depression robs you of motivation and energy, so you need simple. Over those two years, I met so many people who felt defeated. I wanted to help, so I started making journals for fellow patients. This challenged me to grow my daily mindfulness practice and I realized I had a journal I could publish.

– What do you hope for your readers to walk away with?
The biggest awareness I’ve learned from this experience is that I overcomplicate things, make my life much harder than it has to be. These little touchpoints to life in the present moment have opened me up to experience things more fully. My relationships have improved and I find pleasure in simple things more often. I even look at problems differently, seeing them for what they are, not what I imagine they are, which has led to better solutions. Life is simply easier. I hope my readers find the journal helpful, and if not, that they find what works for them. I think we can all use a bit more ease in our lives.

-How do you create presence in your life?
With 100 Days of Mindfulness! But seriously, I really do use the techniques in my journal. I have made a huge shift in my life to be more connected with others and to live a values-based life with gratitude. It all starts with being here, right now, out of my head, in my body. From there, I can choose what to do next rather than not noticing life pass by while I stew on my thoughts. That’s really powerful.

You can purchase 100 Days of Mindfulness at Hot Spot Power Yoga or on Amazon.